Former interim lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson is in line for his second Octagon walk of the year – and he will do so in the final month of 2023, meeting the returning Liverpool grappler, Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296 on December 16. at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Per UFC CEO, Dana White, former interim lightweight titleholder, Tony Ferguson, who will attempt to snap a disappointing six-fight losing skid in his return to the Octagon in December, will welcome former Cage Warriors featherweight champion, Pimblett back to the Octagon following a lengthy lay-off through a foot injury.
Dana White confirms Tony Ferguson’s clash with Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296
Furthermore, as revealed earlier today, White confirmed a welterweight fight between former two-time division championship challenger, Stephen Thompson, and the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov for the promotion’s final pay-per-view event of the year.
Without a victory since a 2019 doctor’s stoppage TKO win over recent Hall of Fame inductee, Donald Cerrone, Oxnard native, Ferguson featured on the main card of UFC 291 back in July, dropping a late third round arm-triangle choke submission loss to incoming UFC Vegas 80 headliner, Bobby Green.
As for Pimblett, the outspoken Liverpudlian grappler improved his undefeated Octagon record to four straight fights back in December of last year at UFC 282, taking home a hugely-controversial and contentious unanimous decision win over Queens striker, Jared Gordon in the event’s co-headliner.
Despite suffering a sixth consecutive loss to the aforenoted, Green, veteran fan-favorite, Ferguson will continue to keep the ball rolling inside the Octagon despite recent calls for him to hang up his gloves from active competition – off the back of consecutive losses to Nate Diaz, Michael Chandler, Beneil Dariush, Charles Oliveira, and Justin Gaethje.
UFC 296 takes place on December 16. from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada – with an undisputed welterweight title fight between champion, Leon Edwards, and former interim champion, Colby Covington slated to take main event honors.